'Supermax Prisons\r'

'Supermax Prisons and Their Adverse effect Introduction Due to increasing crime rank and the extensive belief that reconstructive programs for inmates do non work, a new and harsher method for prison ho physical exercise houses is be utilized. preferably of scattering the worst criminals, they are being amalgamate into Supermax prisons. Supermax prisons are state of the art penitentiaries meant to hold altogether the worst of the worst criminals and inmates that can non be trusted in regular prisons. in that respect are strict regulations and policies to take care inmates’ time for communication, recreation, visiting, religious practices, and education even to a greater extent than regular prisons.More often than non, â€Å"inmates in supermax prisons return 23 hours of every day locked in a slighter cell” (Hickey pg. 160). Supermax prisons work upon the premise that the most ruffianly and dis parliamentary procedurely inmates can be better manoeuvreled â€Å"by separation, restricted movement, and limited access to staff and opposite inmates” (Hickey pg. 167). charm supermax prisons are believed to reduce crime and addition safety, in that respect are questions of whether or not this is real the case. Compare/Contrast CritiqueSupermax prisons are considered effective because they unify the most violent criminals and allow for other(prenominal) prisons to office to a greater extent safely and much conveningly for some(prenominal) staff and inmates. However the inmates cannot just be consolidated and held to the same standards as regular prisons, as was revealed at Marion in 1980 when the â€Å"operation began to show clear signs of the key stresses of apply this quasi-normal scheme to deal with such in-your-face offenders” (Hickey pg. 164). In response, a new and more innovative facility was created to cater to the high- security measures wishings of a prison with extremely dangerous inmates.These newer facilities were created to â€Å"control the inmate’s behavior until they demonstrate that they can be travel tail end to a traditional open-population penitentiary” (Hickey pg. 165). While incarcerated at supermax prisons, the inmates are handcuffed around staff, eat and doing alone, and are kept in their cells for most of the day. As prisoners be work well, they are given more and more privileges until they are deemed safe enough to fork out to regular prisons. Additionally, there is a oftentimes higher staff to inmate ratio than at normal prisons.All operate that are required are available and â€Å" trading operations are consistent with inbuilt requirements related to conditions and limitation” (Hickey pg. 166). After reverting to regular penitentiaries from a supermax prison, 80% of former inmates be fall in well enough that they do not return to the supermax prison. Supermax prisons provide a aim of safety and security for both staff and inm ates that other prisons cannot provide. On the other hand, there is a vague side and harsh reality to supermax prisons besides the patent high costs of maintaining the prisons that are funded by revenue enhancement payers.While supermax prisons claim to uphold the prisoner’s constitutional rights, there are many claims that state otherwise ranging from the denial of medical care to illegal censoring of mailâ€â€Å"prison guards have testified to shackling prisoners to their beds and spraying them with high-pressure fire hoses” (Hickey pg. 169). The placement of inmates at certain levels of security and confinement based upon behavior is arbitrary. The guards admonishmine what is â€Å" not bad(predicate)” and â€Å"bad” behavior, and their resolves could be as menial as â€Å"refusing to make beds or complaining ab show up clog and overflowing toilets” (Hickey pg. 169).Additionally, the amount of control that the inmates are move under (near 24-hour isolation, little to no physical amour between visitors and inmates and highly limited and scheduled outside recreation time) creates an environment that is psychologically debilitating and detrimental to personal and social identities. Rehabilitation is set off and replaced with competition between the inmates for privileges, fostering a aggressive environment. The amount of frustration, deprivation, and despair that inmates endure do not create less violent inmates, but something much more dangerous (at the least, more angry).Fighting violence with more violence is not workingâ€supermax prisons are not reducing crime or safety. Critique of the vie Supermax prisons are a good idea on paper. However, in practice, supermax prisons do not work. In a contrasting example, there are many spends reversive from war. They are recognizeed by family, strangers buy food for them out of gratitude for their service, and there are programs and stake groups that help th em return to normal ways of life. Still, the transition from the life of a soldier in combat back to the noncombatant world is not easy. However, these issues are recognize and regard in many forms of support.On the other hand, for the increasingly outsize amount of criminals who are sent to supermax prisons for breaking the law, the set and actual transition from prison life back to regular baseball club is not widely recognized or respected, with little or no support. There are few credible methods or support groups that truly help previous convicts return to normal life, especially in comparison to a soldier returning from war. Additionally, individuals that are accepted members of society greet the returning convicts with trepidation and suspicion because of the belief â€Å" at one time a thief, always a thief. Consequently, the convict’s return to society and â€Å"normal” life is just about impossible and recommitting criminal acts is expected. While the return of a criminal from prison should not be reward the way a soldier is honored when returning from deployment, a criminal should have corresponding rehabilitative and re-immersion programs and support groups. With the levels of confinement being dictated by arbitrary rules and expectations set in place by guards, inmates behave well only because they want privileges and rewards rather than to actually improve themselves.Using a reward-punishment system does not develop character or help prisoners in their eventual assimilation back into society. When inmates are drop by the waysided from prison, they need to return better than they were before prison or else they will just end up in prison again. In order for this to be accomplished, â€Å"a more holistic view of crime control” inescapably to be set in order and there needs to be more of a focus â€Å"on community and restoration and less on imprisonment” (Hickey pg. 174). The joined States has been using pri sons for centuries instantaneously and imprisonment rates have only increase throughout history.Perhaps the answer to reducing crime is not in the traditional idea of fear of punishment, but the United States seems to be stuck on the idea of using prisons and imprisonment to thwart crime nevertheless. In a perfect world, criminals will be sent to prison, spend their time there wisely, and return to society a changed people. However, in reality, inmates are being released from prison worse off than when they entered the prison. Not seeing or interacting with another human being creates a disconnection from cosmos.For the inmate, being kept totally separated and isolated from everyone, there must inevitably be a virtuoso of anger and resentment towards the system that should be fate them and at the very least be exhibit them how to act properly in society upon their release from prison. Additionally, controlling every aspect of a person’s life is not productive or educatio nal. Learning from mistakes is a part of life, but supermax prisons have nothing to offer in terms of dateing. Since the inmates have clearly made mistakes (they are in prison after all), they should be educated on how to learn and grow from their mistakes. instead, they are just put refine as failures and expected to continue failing. However, as supermax prisons beget more and more popular, rehabilitative programs and the inmate’s humanity are being set deflexion for safer conditions and security. The idea that you have to sacrifice either the humanity of the inmate or the safety of the staff would implicate that the system is severely flawed. There has to be a better way to punish criminals, but to a fault rehabilitate them. Conclusion The current penal system that the United States has is flawed and supermax prisons are simply not as effective as was expected.The traditional use of prisons and imprisonment as a way to deter crime is not (nor has it ever been) actuall y no-hit at reducing crime, but for some reason we keep to the same plan and modify it rather than take a whole new approach. A person who goes to prison should not want or need to commit deviance after leave prisonâ€they should leave a changed person. Society should arrive at to help the person returning from prison similar to the way soldiers are aided upon their return to the United States.Instead, society remains adamant in continuing to punish and then ignore those who commit crimes which in end creates a never ending wheel of deviance. The system for punishing criminals needs to change, but how society views the punishment of criminals needs to change as well. Instead of focusing on revenge and justice, the focus needs to be on rehabilitation and development. Works Cited Hickey, T. (2012). taking sides: Clashing views in crime and criminology. (10th ed. ). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Companies Inc.\r\n'